17. My Chemical Romance-The Black Parade
Now come one come all to this tragic affair...
Mic in hand, full of despair, My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way sings loud and clear, and with those nine words, opens MCR's ferocious new album The Black Parade. Less an introduction and more of a warning sign, those nine words pull back the curtains to a well thought out, and carefully executed concept album that focuses on the art of death and decay. Loud, bombastic, fine tuned, and heartfelt, My Chemical Romance went into the studio familiar to many, unknown to millions. With this album the tide may change. Taking inspiration from the heaviest of heavyweights- [David Bowie on the Five Years channeling opener The End, Queen on the wonderfully operatic Welcome to the Black Parade, and T.Rex on the adolescent at heart fist pounder Teenagers]-MCR manage to combine elements from their past, Gerard's high octane vocals, punk like excursions here and there, and try on the emperor's new clothes mixing in ballads [the short and to the point melodrama that is Cancer] and guest turns from Liza Minelli [Mama]. The Black Parade is an album that demands to be heard and taken seriously. Goodbye damning mall-punk stylistics and label, hello mellon collie and the infinite sadness.
KEY TRACKS: This is how I dissapear/Welcome to the Black Parade/Teenagers
16. The Killers-Sam's Town
With the release of the anthemic, hard rocking first single When You Were Young, and leading up the album's release, there was all this talk about Bruce Springsteen and how inklings of him and that E Street Band sound could be heard all over this album. But I hear someone else. Skip ahead to track 4 [the wondefully titled Bling(Confessions of A King)]. At the top of his lungs with a clear throat, Mr. Flowers belts out those opening lines and instead of the Boss, I hear Bono, and when the beat kicks in I hear the Edge. Surprised? You shouldn't be. Think about it. Where Hot Fuss was ambiguous and confused [about everything from love to relationships and even sexuality], Sam's Town is confident and aware, arena sized and anthemic. Everything is louder, brighter, and epic. Traces of Hot Fuss come and go [the horns in Bones, the late night synth haze of Read My Mind], but with Sam's Town The Killers bid aideu to the inspirations sprawled throughout their debut [The Cure, Duran Duran, The Smiths] and aim to place themselves alongside Journey, Foreigner, U2, and the like in the juxeboxes across America. And you know what? They're halfway there.
KEY TRACKS: When You Were Young/Read My Mind/My List
To be continued...
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